The Rushden Echo & Argus, 13^th August, 1943, transcribed by Gill Hollis

Commission Won - Success for Rushden Artilleryman

  A commission as 2^nd Lieutenant in the R.A. has been gained by Walter Sidney Lee, of 31, Tennyson-road, Rushden.

  Lieut. Lee, who is now 25 years old, has been serving since March, 1938, and is at present attached to an anti-tank regiment.  Prior to joining the Army he worked for Messrs. Allebone and Sons, boot manufacturers, and was a keen sportsman.  He is the only son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Lee, who also have two daughters, both engaged on war work.

Won His Wings - Rushden Airman’s Success in Canada
Mrs. M. Jacques, of 100, High-street South, Rushden, has learned that her husband, Sergt. Pilot Jeffrey Lewis Jacques, R.A.F.V.R., has gained his wings while in training at Weyburn, Canada. He is 24 years of age and has served for 14 months, eight of them at Weyburn. He formerly worked with his father, a plumber, and was the assistant cub master of Rushden St. Mary’s Wolf Cubs. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. A. Jacques, of 84 Bedford-road, Rushden.

Won His Wings - Rushden Airman Also Gains Commission
News has been received by Mrs. M. Bone, of 119, Washbrook-road, Rushden, that her son, Corporal W. J. Bone, aged 25, of the R.A.F., now in South Africa, has gained his wings and has been granted a commission. He joined in 1939 as a general clerk, and served in that capacity in France, and was at St. Nazaire when France capitulated. He was among the last to get away, the Germans being in the next village. After further service as a clerk at a home station, he volunteered for training as a pilot. He was sent to South Africa to do his practical training.

Pilot Officer Bone was educated at the Intermediate School, Rushden, and worked for a time in a grocery department of the Rushden Co-operative Society, and then for a year or two he was employed by Messrs. H. W. Chapman, Ltd., carton manufacturers, at their Irthlingborough branch.

Commission for Air-Gunner - Rushden Man’s Fine Record of Flights
A commission as Pilot Officer in the R.A.F. has been gained by Ronald Cox, only son of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Cox, of 45, Park-avenue, Rushden.

Joining the Air Force in February 1940, P/O Cox became a sergeant air-gunner and took part in scores of operational flights over enemy territory. During a well-earned rest period recently he has been serving as a gunnery instructor.

After attending Rushden Newton-road School, where he was in the hands of Coun. J. Allen, he completed his education at Kettering Grammar School under the late Mr. J. I. Scott. He afterwards worked in Rushden Co-operative Society’s furnishing department (Higham-road) and then obtained a position with the Worksop Co-operative Society.

The Rushden Echo and Argus, 4^th February, 1944, transcribed by Gill Hollis

A.T.C. Boy Wins Commission - Rushden Squadron is Proud of Him
  Latest ex-member of the Rushden A.T.C. Squadron to win a commission in the Royal Air Force is Pilot Officer John Edward Drage, described by his old A.T.C. chief Ft.-Lt. A. H. Whitton, as “one of the best boys we ever had.”

  P.O. Drage is the only son of Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Drage, of 47, St. Margaret’s-avenue, Rushden.  After school days at Alfred-street he worked for the London Central Meat Co., and when the Rushden A.T.C. Squadron was formed he became one of the original members.  He had less than nine months’ pre-service training, but in that time gained a useful degree of proficiency in drill, navigation, signalling and aircraft recognition.

  This all proved of value to him when he joined the R.A.F. in March, 1942.  He became a sergeant last June, and his commission has just come through.  His air work is as a navigator under Bomber Command, and he has already made a number of operational flights.

  The Rushden Squadron is particularly proud of P/O Drage as an example of what can be done – with the help of the A.T.C. – without the advantage of secondary education.

Air Officer’s Promotion Formerly Employed by Rushden Firm
The promotion of Pilot Officer Ernest Eaton Laughton, R.A.F., to the rank of Flying Officer took place recently in N. Ireland.

F/O Laughton is 23 years of age and the son of Mr and Mrs H Laughton of 38, Wollaston-road, Irchester. He is married and his wife is in Ireland with him. Previously employed as a carpenter by Messrs Sanders and Sanders, of Rushden, he has been with the R.A.F. since the beginning of the war and was commissioned about nine months ago.

As a boy he attended the Irchester Council School and was connected with the Irchester Boys’ Brigade.

Air Navigator Solicitors’ Clerk Wins his Wings
Well-known in Rushden, where he was employed in the office of Messrs. J. T. Parker, Son, and A. N. Groome, solicitors, Sergt. W. D. (“Don”) Perkins, only son of Mrs. W. Perkins, of 119 Finedon-road, Irthlingborough, has gained his wing as a navigator, following training in Rhodesia and South Africa. He joined the R.A.F. in March 1943, at the age of 19, proceeding overseas shortly afterwards.

One of the earliest members of the A.T.C., he held the rank of Flight Sergeant in C Flight, No. 378 Mannock Squadron.

Fleet Airman Rushden Man Wins Wings in Canada

P.O. Donald Loakes, Fleet Air Arm, has cabled from Canada to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Loakes, of “Shirlyn,” Shirley-road, Rushden, Rushden, to say that he has gained his wings.

Aged 18½ years, P.O. Loakes is a telegraphist air gunner. He has been in the service for 12 months and went to Canada in February. Formerly he was employed by Messrs. A. Sargent and Sons. He was educated at the Intermediate School, played in the junior football and attended St. Peter’s Church Sunday School.